JP2016215817A - Electronic key system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a user-friendly electronic key system.SOLUTION: A on-vehicle control portion 36 specifies a seat position of a user getting on a vehicle from the positional information of a vehicle door shifted from a close state to an open state through a courtesy switch 32. The on-vehicle control portion 36 compares RSSI values immediately before and immediately after the vehicle door shifts from the close state to the open state, and specifies which user having a portable terminal 2 gets on the vehicle. The on-vehicle control portion 36 adjusts a seat at a specified position so as to correspond to the user getting on, through a seat device 34.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic key system.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an electronic key system in which an in-vehicle device operates or an operation of the in-vehicle device is permitted when wireless communication performed between the electronic key and the in-vehicle control unit is established.
In the electronic key system of Patent Document 1, the position of the electronic key is specified from the signal strength of a radio signal transmitted and received between the electronic key and the vehicle-mounted control unit, and the user's vehicle is identified from the specified position of the electronic key. Estimate boarding / exiting and switch between locking and unlocking the door lock.

JP 2002-77972 A

  In recent years, focusing on the fact that a specific individual often uses one electronic key, in addition to the position information of the electronic key, the use of information unique to the electronic key for the operation of in-vehicle devices has been studied. Yes. For example, the person sitting on the driver's seat is identified from the position information of the electronic key and the information specific to the electronic key, and the seat is adjusted according to the identified person.

  By the way, the electronic key is often carried in a bag or the like. For example, when the back with the electronic key is placed in the passenger seat, the seat of the driver seat is not adjusted, so the usability is poor. .

Such issues are not limited to driver seats. In addition to the seat adjustment, there is a similar problem in other in-vehicle devices.
The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic key system that is easy to use.

  In order to solve the above problems, an electronic key system having an in-vehicle control unit that permits or executes an operation of an in-vehicle device on condition that wireless communication between an in-vehicle communication device and an electronic key provided in a vehicle is established, A signal strength detection unit for detecting a signal strength of a radio signal exchanged between the in-vehicle communication device and the electronic key, an open / close detection unit for detecting opening / closing of a vehicle door, and a lock for restricting opening / closing of the vehicle door A door lock device that switches between a state and an unlocked state that allows opening and closing of the vehicle door, and the electronic key wirelessly transmits information unique to itself to the in-vehicle communication device, The vehicle-mounted control unit changes the seat position of the user who gets into the vehicle from the position information of the vehicle door that has shifted from the closed state to the open state after the vehicle state is switched from the locked state to the unlocked state. The signal strength detected before the vehicle door is opened is compared with the signal strength detected between the time when the vehicle door is opened and the time when the vehicle door is closed, and the electronic key transmitted wirelessly from the electronic key. The gist is to identify each user who gets into the vehicle from the information unique to the vehicle and to operate the in-vehicle device so as to correspond to the user.

  According to this system, when the door is in a closed state, a radio signal exchanged between the in-vehicle communication device and the electronic key is attenuated because it passes through a boundary portion such as a vehicle door or body. On the other hand, when the door is in the open state, the boundary between the inside of the vehicle and the outside of the vehicle is continuous, so that the radio signal is not easily attenuated. In addition, the user tends to get on the door that he / she opened and sit on the seat closest to the door. Further, the electronic key wirelessly transmits information unique to itself. From these, the vehicle-mounted control part can specify the user who carries an electronic key, and the seating position of the user. And since a vehicle-mounted apparatus is operated so as to correspond to the specified user and seating position, the user can use the vehicle or the vehicle-mounted apparatus conveniently.

  In the above system, a plurality of the in-vehicle communication devices are provided so as to correspond to each seat, and when the in-vehicle control unit detects a door that has shifted from a closed state to an open state through the open / close detection unit, When a wireless communication is attempted from a nearby in-vehicle communication device to the electronic key and wireless communication is established with a plurality of electronic keys, the signal strength detected until the vehicle door is opened, and the vehicle door The gist is to identify a user having an electronic key having the largest difference from the signal intensity detected between the opening and the closing of the vehicle door as a user getting into the vehicle.

  Even when each of a plurality of users located near the vehicle has an electronic key, the distance between the electronic key of the user who opened the door and the in-vehicle communication device is different from that of the other electronic key and the in-vehicle communication device. Shorter than the distance between. That is, the signal strength of the radio signal exchanged with the electronic key of the user who opened the door is larger than the signal strength of the radio signal exchanged with another electronic key. From this difference in intensity, the in-vehicle control unit can suitably identify the user. And since a vehicle-mounted apparatus is operated so as to correspond to the specified user, according to this system, the vehicle and the vehicle-mounted apparatus are convenient for the user.

  In the above system, the in-vehicle communication device can change a communication range with the electronic key by switching the directivity of the antenna, and the in-vehicle control unit is opened from the closed state through the open / close detection unit. When the door that has shifted to is detected, the in-vehicle communication device is adjusted so that the communication range includes a portion where the interior space and the exterior space of the vehicle are continuous due to the door being opened. The gist is to try radio communication.

  According to this system, the in-vehicle communication device can perform wireless communication with the electronic key of the user who opened the door. On the other hand, the in-vehicle communication device does not perform wireless communication with other electronic keys. Therefore, the user who gets into the vehicle through the opened door can be suitably specified. And since a vehicle-mounted apparatus is operated so as to correspond to the specified user, according to this system, the vehicle and the vehicle-mounted apparatus are convenient for the user.

  The electronic key system of the present invention has an effect that it is easy to use.

The block diagram which shows schematic structure of an electronic key system. The top view of the vehicle which shows the presence or absence of attenuation | damping of a radio signal. The block diagram which shows another example of an antenna.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an electronic key system will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, an electronic key system 1 includes a mobile terminal 2 such as a smartphone possessed by a user and an in-vehicle device 3, and is mounted on the vehicle by Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard wireless communication performed between them. Control the drive of the equipment.

The mobile terminal 2 includes a BT communication unit 21 and a microcomputer 22. The BT communication unit 21 is connected to and controlled by the microcomputer 22.
The BT communication unit 21 receives a Bluetooth standard radio signal and demodulates the received signal into an electrical signal. The BT communication unit 21 modulates the electrical signal into a Bluetooth standard radio signal and transmits the modulated radio signal.

  The BT communication unit 21 includes an RSSI circuit 21a. The RSSI circuit 21a detects the RSSI value (signal strength) of the received radio signal. The RSSI circuit 21a corresponds to a signal intensity detection unit.

The memory 22a of the microcomputer 22 stores an ID code common to the in-vehicle device 3.
When the microcomputer 22 receives a later-described request signal through the BT communication unit 21, the microcomputer 22 generates a response signal including an ID code stored in the memory 22a and information indicating the RSSI value of the received request signal. The generated response signal is modulated by the BT communication unit 21 and then wirelessly transmitted. The portable terminal 2 functions as an electronic key dedicated to the vehicle.

  The in-vehicle device 3 includes a BT communication unit 31, a courtesy switch 32, a door lock device 33, a seat device 34, a steering tilt device 35, and an in-vehicle control unit 36. Each of these components except for the in-vehicle control unit 36 is electrically connected to the in-vehicle control unit 36 and controlled by the in-vehicle control unit 36.

  Four antennas 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d are connected to the BT communication unit 31. As shown in FIG. 2, the antenna 31a is provided on the right front seat, the antenna 31b is provided on the left front seat, the antenna 31c is provided on the rear right seat, and the antenna 31d is provided on the left rear seat. The antennas 31a to 31d correspond to in-vehicle communication devices.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the BT communication unit 31 modulates an electrical signal into a Bluetooth standard radio signal, and transmits the modulated radio signal from an antenna designated by antenna designation information described later. The BT communication unit 31 receives a Bluetooth standard radio signal and demodulates the received signal into an electrical signal.

The courtesy switch 32 detects the opening and closing of the door.
The door lock device 33 switches between locking and unlocking the door lock.
The seat device 34 adjusts the front / rear position of the seat and the tilt position of the seat back.

The steering tilt device 35 adjusts the tilt position of the steering wheel.
An ID code common to the portable terminal 2 is stored in the memory 36 a of the in-vehicle control unit 36. The memory 36a stores the seat information indicating the front and rear position of the seat and the tilt position of the seat back and the tilt information indicating the tilt position of the steering wheel in a state linked to the ID code.

  The in-vehicle control unit 36 periodically generates a request signal including information requesting transmission of the ID code and transmission of the RSSI value of the received signal. The request signal is modulated by the BT communication unit 31 and wirelessly transmitted.

  The in-vehicle control unit 36 generates antenna designation information that designates an antenna that wirelessly transmits the generated request signal together with the request signal. When the vehicle-mounted control unit 36 recognizes that all doors are closed through the courtesy switch 32, the vehicle-mounted control unit 36 generates antenna designation information so that the request signals are wirelessly transmitted in the order of the antennas 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d. To do.

  Further, when the in-vehicle control unit 36 receives a response signal as a response to the request signal through the BT communication unit 31, the in-vehicle control unit 36 collates the ID code included in the response signal with the ID code stored in the memory 36a. The vehicle-mounted control unit 36 switches between locking and unlocking the door lock through the door lock device 33 when detecting contact with the door handle through a sensor (not shown) in a state in which the ID code is verified. Further, when the verification of the ID code is established, the in-vehicle control unit 36 temporarily stores the RSSI value included in the response signal in the memory 36a in association with the ID code.

  When detecting that the door is opened through the courtesy switch 32, the in-vehicle control unit 36 generates antenna designation information so that a request signal is wirelessly transmitted from an antenna provided on a seat closest to the door.

The in-vehicle control unit 36 compares the RSSI value acquired immediately before the door shifts from the closed state to the open state with the RSSI value acquired immediately after, and determines the ID code having the largest difference.
And the vehicle-mounted control part 36 adjusts the sheet | seat nearest to the opened door through the sheet | seat apparatus 34 so that it may correspond with the sheet | seat information linked | related with the ID code with the largest difference. Further, when the opened door is a driver's seat door, the in-vehicle controller 36 adjusts the tilt position of the steering wheel through the steering tilt device 35 so as to correspond to the tilt information.

<Action>
As shown in FIG. 2, when all the doors are in the closed state, the request signal wirelessly transmitted from the antennas 31a to 31d located in the vehicle is attenuated at a boundary portion separating the inside and the outside of the vehicle. On the other hand, when the door shifts from the closed state to the open state, the inside and outside of the vehicle are continuous, so that the request signal wirelessly transmitted from the antennas 31a to 31d reaches the mobile terminal 2 without being attenuated by the boundary portion. Therefore, a large difference occurs between the RSSI value immediately before the door shifts from the closed state to the open state and the RSSI value immediately after the door.

  Since the door is opened by the user who tries to get into the vehicle, the request signal transmitted from the antenna provided on the seat closest to the opened door is suitably received by the portable terminal 2 of the user who tries to get into the vehicle from the door. Is done.

  Therefore, for example, even if the user places the bag containing the mobile terminal 2 in the driver's seat after getting into the driver's seat, the in-vehicle control unit 36 adjusts the seat of the driver's seat so as to correspond to the user and the steering wheel Adjust the tilt position.

  In this example, the request signal is transmitted from the antenna near the door that has shifted from the closed state to the open state. Thereby, even when each of the plurality of users located in the vicinity of the vehicle has the portable terminal 2 corresponding to the vehicle, the distance between the portable terminal 2 of the user who opened the door and the antenna is different. It becomes shorter than the distance between the portable terminal 2 and the antenna. That is, the RSSI value of the request signal received at the mobile terminal 2 of the user who opened the door is larger than the RSSI value of the request signal received at the other mobile terminal 2. Therefore, the difference between the RSSI value immediately before the door in the mobile terminal 2 of the user who opened the door has shifted from the closed state to the open state and the RSSI value immediately after the door is larger than the same difference in the other mobile terminals 2. . For this reason, even when each of the plurality of users has the portable terminal 2 corresponding to the vehicle, the in-vehicle control unit 36 can adjust the seat so as to correspond to the user.

As described above in detail, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The vehicle-mounted control unit 36 specifies the seat position of the user who gets into the vehicle from the position information of the vehicle door that has shifted from the closed state to the open state through the courtesy switch 32. The in-vehicle control unit 36 compares the RSSI values immediately before and immediately after the vehicle door shifts from the closed state to the open state, and identifies which user having the mobile terminal 2 gets into the vehicle. Then, the vehicle-mounted control unit 36 adjusts the seat at the position specified so as to correspond to the user who gets in through the seat device 34. Since the user adjusts the seat so that it corresponds to himself / herself only by opening the door and getting in, the user-friendliness of the vehicle is good.

  (2) In addition, even when the mobile terminal 2 is placed in a bag or the like and the bag or the like in which the mobile terminal 2 is placed in a place other than the seat on which the user is seated immediately after boarding, the seat on which the user is seated Is easy to use because it has been adjusted to correspond to itself.

  (3) The vehicle-mounted control unit 36 adjusts the tilt position of the steering wheel through the steering tilt device 35 when the user gets into the driver's seat. The user who is driving only gets into the vehicle, and the tilt position of the steering wheel is adjusted, so driving is easy to start.

  (4) Antennas 31a to 31d are provided for each vehicle seat. The in-vehicle control unit 36 wirelessly transmits the request signal from the antenna closest to the vehicle door that has shifted from the closed state to the open state. Thereby, even when each of a plurality of users located in the vicinity of the vehicle has a portable terminal, the distance between the portable terminal 2 of the user who opened the door and the antenna is different from that of the other portable terminal and the antenna. Shorter than the distance between. That is, the RSSI value of the request signal exchanged with the mobile terminal of the user who opened the door is larger than the RSSI value of the request signal exchanged with another mobile terminal. From the difference in strength, the in-vehicle control unit 36 can suitably identify the user who opened the door. And since the seat is adjusted through the seat device 34 so as to correspond to the specified user, the user has good usability of the vehicle.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.
In the above embodiment, the antenna is provided for each sheet, but it is not necessarily provided for each sheet. Even if there is only one antenna, if the RSSI values immediately before and after the door transitions from the closed state to the open state are compared, it is possible to identify which user carrying the portable terminal 2 gets into the vehicle from the door can do.

  In addition, instead of the antenna in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a variable antenna 41 that can change the transmission range of the radio signal (request signal) by changing the output may be adopted. The antenna 41 changes the transmission range of the radio signal by changing the output of the antenna extending in the X direction and the antenna extending in the Y direction. If this variable antenna 41 is employed, even if there is only one antenna, the in-vehicle control unit 36 can perform wireless communication with the mobile terminal 2 of the user who opened the door. On the other hand, the in-vehicle control unit 36 does not perform wireless communication with other mobile terminals 2. Therefore, the vehicle-mounted control part 36 can specify suitably the user who gets into a vehicle from the opened door. In this example, the antenna 41 is a biaxial antenna, but may be a triaxial antenna.

  -In above-mentioned embodiment, although the vehicle-mounted control part 36 compared the RSSI value immediately before and immediately after a vehicle door shifted from a closed state to an open state, and specified the portable terminal 2 located in the door vicinity, the said portable terminal The comparison of RSSI values performed to specify 2 is not limited to immediately before and immediately after the door is shifted to the open state. The RSSI value immediately before the door is shifted to the open state may be changed to the RSSI value of the signal received and received during the period from when the door is unlocked until the door shifts to the open state. It may be an average value of RSSI values of a plurality of signals sent and received. In addition, the RSSI value immediately after the door shifts to the open state is changed to the RSSI value of the signal received and transferred until the door that has shifted to the open state again shifts to the closed state. Alternatively, it may be an average value of RSSI values of a plurality of signals sent and received during this time.

-In the said embodiment, although the RSSI circuit was provided in the portable terminal, you may provide in the vehicle equipment 3.
In the above embodiment, opening / closing of the vehicle door is detected through the courtesy switch 32, but may be detected by other methods such as magnetic detection.

  In the above embodiment, the seat device 34 and the steering tilt device 35 have been described as the in-vehicle devices that are adjusted according to the user, but other devices may be used. For example, an apparatus such as an audio or an air conditioner may be used. Further, regarding the steering wheel, not only the tilt position but also the front-rear position and the like may be adjusted.

  In the above embodiment, the wireless communication between the in-vehicle device 3 and the portable terminal 2 is performed using a Bluetooth standard wireless signal, but may be performed using a wireless signal of another standard or band. For example, it may be performed with a radio signal in an LF (Low Frequency) band or an UHF (Ultra Hi Frequency) band.

-In the said embodiment, although the smart phone was illustrated as a portable terminal, other terminals, such as a tablet, may be sufficient and the electronic key only for vehicles may be sufficient.
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the information unique to the mobile terminal is the ID code has been described. However, the information is not limited to the ID code as long as the information can identify the mobile terminal. For example, the in-vehicle control unit 36 switches between locking and unlocking a door lock through wireless communication with an electronic key dedicated to the vehicle, and determines the position where the user gets in through wireless communication with a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. You may make it determine. Even with the system configured as described above, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the above embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electronic key system, 2 ... Portable terminal, 3 ... In-vehicle apparatus, 21 ... BT communication part, 21a ... RSSI circuit, 22 ... Microcomputer, 22a, 36a ... Memory, 31 ... BT communication part, 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d ... Antenna (vehicle communication device), 32 ... Courtesy switch (open / close detection unit), 33 ... Door lock device, 34 ... Seat device (vehicle device), 35 ... Steering tilt device (vehicle device), 36 ... Vehicle control unit, 41 ... variable antenna.

Claims (3)

In an electronic key system having an in-vehicle control unit that permits or executes the operation of an in-vehicle device on condition that wireless communication is established between an in-vehicle communication device and an electronic key provided in the vehicle,
A signal strength detection unit for detecting a signal strength of a radio signal exchanged between the in-vehicle communication device and the electronic key;
An open / close detector for detecting opening / closing of the vehicle door;
A door lock device that switches between a locked state that restricts opening and closing of the vehicle door and an unlocked state that allows opening and closing of the vehicle door;
The electronic key wirelessly transmits information unique to itself to the in-vehicle communication device,
The vehicle-mounted control unit is configured to change the seat position of a user who gets into the vehicle from the position information of the vehicle door that has been shifted from the closed state to the open state until the vehicle door opens after the locked state is switched to the unlocked state. And the signal strength detected between the opening of the vehicle door and the closing of the vehicle door, and information unique to the electronic key transmitted wirelessly from the electronic key. An electronic key system for identifying a user who gets into a vehicle and operating the vehicle-mounted device so as to correspond to the user. The electronic key system according to claim 1.
A plurality of the in-vehicle communication devices are provided so as to correspond to each seat,
When the vehicle-mounted control unit detects a door that has transitioned from a closed state to an open state through the opening / closing detection unit, the vehicle-mounted control unit attempts wireless communication from the vehicle-mounted communication device closest to the door to the electronic key, and a plurality of electronic keys When the wireless communication is established, the difference between the signal strength detected until the vehicle door is opened and the signal strength detected between the time when the vehicle door is opened and the time when the vehicle door is closed is An electronic key system that identifies a user having the largest electronic key as a user getting into the vehicle. The electronic key system according to claim 1 or 2,
The in-vehicle communication device can change the communication range with the electronic key by switching the directivity of the antenna,
When the vehicle-mounted control unit detects a door that has shifted from a closed state to an open state through the open / close detection unit, a portion in which the interior space and the exterior space of the vehicle are continuous in the communication range due to the door being opened. An electronic key system that adjusts the in-vehicle communication device to be included and attempts wireless communication with the electronic key.